This is a fundraising event which helps to raise money for the important educational projects that Mix-d: is involved in. The work that Mix-d: is doing is unlike any other project in the country and is helping to research, educate and open up a positive dialogue around the issues of being from a mixed heritage.

The event itself also brings together many people from various backgrounds and allows them to understand and be part of what Mix-d: is doing.

As someone who is mixed-race, until I found Mix-d: I can honestly say that I had never come across anything that was aimed specifically at mixed-race people. This isn’t to say that I ever wanted special treatment from the world; it is just that as a mixed-race person I wanted to be recognised.

Mix-d: Face is doing just that. They are searching for a ‘look’ which is not monoheritage (having two white or two black parents). It is recognising mixed race people and giving them a voice in one of the biggest industries in this country, Fashion.

It is not about the exclusion of people that are not mixed-race, but the inclusion of a part of society that is often ignored or expected to choose one identity over another.

Mix-d: Face goes beyond the idea of beauty and aesthetics. Whilst it is a modeling competition, there is more to it. The reason we are scouting mixed-race models is not to say that we they are any more attractive than anyone else. We are searching for a ‘look’ which represents mixed-race identity alongside other cultural and racial groups.

We are not attempting to over-celebrate but are unwilling to overlook the issue. Our fundraising events are using something physical to draw attention to issues which are invisible. The voice of representation isn’t there at the moment for mixed-race people. And until it is we need events like Mix-d: Face.